A 19-year-old man has been sentenced to two years and three months in prison for piloting a small boat that carried a then-record 165 migrants across the English Channel. Chan Mathok Atak, originally from South Sudan, pleaded guilty at Canterbury Crown Court to endangering others during the crossing on 23 July.
Prosecutors stated that Atak created a risk of death or serious personal injury to the passengers on board. The vessel, widely described as a “mega dinghy” due to its size, held the record for the largest number of migrants transported on a small boat at the time. That record was later broken in August when 230 people were found on a single vessel.
Judge Sarah Counsell ruled that the severity of the offense warranted an immediate custodial sentence. She further warned Atak that, as a foreign national, he faces automatic deportation proceedings once he finishes his prison term.
The court heard that the inflatable dinghy measured 14.3 meters (46.9 feet) in length and 3.9 meters (12.8 feet) in width, dimensions comparable to a standard bus. It was equipped with two outboard engines, though one was non-functional during the journey.
Border force vessels intercepted the dinghy as it was deflating after traveling from Calais to the UK. Among the 165 people on board were 31 children, with the youngest being just 14 years old.
As a pilot myself, the idea of one working engine carrying 165 souls is sheer madness.
The fact that a record was broken just a month later is deeply worrying. This isn’t slowing down.
Won’t deportation happen automatically anyway? I wonder if the prison sentence actually deters anyone.
I was genuinely shocked by the boat’s dimensions. A bus-sized inflatable is terrifyingly fragile for 165 people.
27 months feels too lenient for risking that many lives, especially with children on board.